Clamp for crossed wires



(No Model.) v A. LEVEDAHL. i

CLAMP FOR GROSSED WIRES; No. 583,664. Patented Feb. 5, 1895 g m Lew265.-

UNITED STATES PATENT rarest AXEL LEVEDAIIL, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

CLAMP FOR CROSSED WIRES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 583,654, dated February5, 1895.

Application filed November 26, 1894. Serial No. N model-l To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, AXEL LEVEDAHL, of Aurora, in the county of Kane andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inClamps for Crossed \Vires; and I do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being bad to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved metal clamp for use in rigidlysecuring together rods or wires in crossed relation, and it has for itsobject to provide a device of the character referred to simple inconstruction, convenient of application, and which forms a more rigid,durable and better finished fastening than those heretofore employed forsimilar purposes.

The invention is especially adapted for use in forming a rigid anddurable connection between the crossed spokes of light steel or ironwheels, as bicycle wheels and the like, but may also be advantageouslyused to fasten together intersecting wires of metal net or grill work,and for various other analogous purposes. 7

The invention consists in the matter hereinafter described and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, and the same will bemore readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the clamp as formed readyfor application. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same. Fig. 3is topplan view. Fi 4 is a side elevation of the clamp applied to a pair ofcrossed rods. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same.

Referring to said drawings, A designates the clamp or clip as a whole.It may be formed of sheet metal, out into suitable blanks and struck upby means of a suitable die.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, which illustrate the form of the clampbefore application,it has oppositely arranged side walls a a whichdiverge from each other from the middle portion of the clamp toward eachend thereof, the diagonally opposite portions of which, as a a and a aare arranged to stand in parallel planes. The side walls a a are joinedby an irregular shaped convex bottom portion a, the unclosed clamphaving the form as a whole of two open ended, U-shaped channels a aarranged to intersect each other at the desired angle, and one of which,as a is deeper or has its bottom arranged in a plane below that of theother a distance equal to the diameter or thickness of one of the rodsdesigned to be clamped therein. The other or shallower channel a is,therefore, interrupted by the deeper channel, its bottom comprising onlyend portions of a". The depth of the channelsa' ando, and the contour ofthe margins of the sides on forming said channels are such that whenapplied in the first place to the wires B B to be clamped, it fitsagainst one side of both wires, and, when wrapped or formed about thewires, the edges meet, and it thus forms a clamp or X- shaped sleevewhich completely embraces the intersecting rods throughout the length ofsaid clamp.

It will be obvious that the contour of the meeting edges of the clampmay be varied somewhat, it being of course understood that what ver istaken off or deducted from one margin must be added on the oppositemargin, but I have found in practice that the form herein illustrated isthe preferable one. As herein shown, one of the diagonally oppositeportions, or those which are arranged to stand in parallel planes, as aa are somewhat wider at their outer ends than the opposing portions er aand slightly rounded or convex at their upper margins. Both the portionsa a? and a a are wider at their ends than at the middle portion of theclamp in order to compass the diverging wires, and it is to be notedthat the form of the clamp may be varied considerably to suit therequirements of the different angles of intersection of the rods orwires to be clamped, it being obvious that the greater the angle atwhich the rods cross the longer must be the end margins or greater thecircumference of the ends of the clamp in proportion to thecircumference of the center thereof.

The clamp in its open form having been placed upon the crossed wires sothat the latter rests in the bottoms of the channels a a the opposingedges of the clamp are brought together or formed over them by anysuitable tool or die, thus forming a complete clasp, as

shown in Figs. i and 5. After having been properly applied, the clampmay be plated or otherwise finished if desired.

For neatnessof appearance the end margins of the clamp are herein shownas slightly rounded or chamfered.

A clamp constructed in accordance with myinvention may be applied withthe greatest facility, is extremely simple and cheap of construction,and forms a strong, neat and rigid fastening peculiarly adapted tosuccessfully withstand the severe strains to which a fastening of thischaracter is subjected, especially when applied to the spokes ofbicycles or similar wheels.

I claim as my invention 1. The combination with wheel spokes which crosseach other at an acute angle, of a connecting clamp for uniting thesame, consisting of a single piece of sheet metal which is bent to formtwo intersecting tubular parts or sockets located in different planes,both of which sockets embrace the spokes at both each end thereof,joined by an irregular shaped convex bottom portion, forming inconjunction with said divergent sides two U- shaped channels of unequaldepth intersecting each other at an acute angle and adapted to beclamped about, and when so clamped, to fit and retain two crossed wiresor rods at their intersections, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature in presence 40 of two witnesses.

AXEL LEVEDAHL.

Witnesses:

TAYLOR E. BROWN, 0. CLARENCE POOLE.

